1. Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to connectors and, particularly, to a connector with a plug-locking mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connectors are used to connect articles. For example, plug and jack connectors are joined to make connection between optical fibers or electrical components.
Japanese patent application Kokai No. 45539/93 discloses such an optical connector for connecting optical fibers. The plug and jack connectors are fixed to circuit boards, respectively, and either or both of the boards are moved to plug the plug connector to the jack connector. A plurality of optical fibers are arranged side by side in the plug and jack connectors, respectively. Each optical fiber is covered by a sheath and provided with a ferrule and an arranging sleeve at an end to provide an optical connector element. The optical connector elements of the jack and plug connectors have complementary forms so that their front ends are able to fit to each other when the plug and jack connectors are plugged in. More specifically, the front end of the optical connector element for the plug connector is reduced, and the optical fiber projects from the reduced front end. The optical connector element of the jack connector has a cavity for receiving the reduced end of the plug connector so that the optical fiber of the plug connector is received in the center of the cavity. These optical connector elements are fitted to each other but not locked to each other. That is, these optical connector elements do not have any plug-locking mechanism. For the purpose of locking, a locking mechanism is provided on the connector body which supports the optical connector elements. Consequently, the optical connector elements are kept in connection by the locking mechanism of the connector body. Another connector has only a guide member provided on the connector body for plugging.
In still another optical connector, a plug connector is allowed to be plugged into a jack connector more than the necessary degree. When the plug connector is plugged into the jack connector beyond the necessary point where the optical connector elements are connected completely, the plug connector is received by the jack connector with a large play. To achieve this, an inside housing is provided in the outside housing of the plug connector. The inside housing is made slidable in the outside housing. The optical connector element is fixed to the inside housing. The inside housing is locked to the outside housing under the normal condition so that the inside housing is slidable only in the front section of the outside housing. However, when the lock is released, the inside housing is slidable into the rear section of the outside housing. The lock is released by the jack connector to release engagement between the inside and outside housings. This release is made by a member of the jack connector when the plug connector is plugged into the jack connector beyond the necessary point. Upon release, the inside housing is insertable to the deep position of the outside housing. Consequently, the plug connector is plugged in the jack connector beyond the necessary point. The plugged-in inside housing is brought into the original position by a pull-back member of the jack connector when the plug and jack connectors are separated. A hook member is provided in the inside housing of the plug connector for engagement with the pull-back member. The pull-back and hook members are fitted to each other to pull back the inside housing when the plug and jack connectors are plugged or the optical connector elements are connected. In addition, the pull-back and hook members serve as a locking mechanism to connect the plug and jack connectors. However, this connector also lacks a locking mechanism for the optical connector element but a locking mechanism on the connector body.
Where a locking mechanism is not provided on the optical connector element but only on the connector body, or the plug-in structure is not made by the plug-locking mechanism between the optical connector elements, tow or more joints are needed to connect the optical connector elements, and complicated connection and release operations are necessary, and the connection becomes unstable as the number of joints increases. If only one of the optical connector elements is replaced, the connection of all the connector elements must be released to release the locking mechanism of the optical connector element, making the operation complicated.